Dubai, UAE: International manufacturers, industry experts, and key decision makers from the entertainment, event, media and creation industries shared the stage, as the inaugural edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East got off to a flying start today.
Running for three days at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016 features 37 exhibitors from 11 countries representing more than 120 brands.
A series of seminars, training sessions, and a live outdoor demonstration area are being staged alongside a number of regional product launches, with industry heavyweights such as Adam Hall, Beyerdynamic, Bose Professional, Sennheiser, Martin Professional, and JBL, all showcasing their newest technologies in an industry that is constantly on the move.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Prolight + Sound Middle East is the fifth leg of the international network of Prolight + Sound events worldwide, and arrives as the UAE leads a regional revival of the professional audio-visual (AV) market over the coming years.
According to analysts Euromonitor International, the UAE’s professional AV market is estimated to value US$707 million by 2018, up from the expected US$656.2 million in 2016.
Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Prolight + Sound Middle East, said: “A key aspect that underlines the AV and entertainment market in the UAE and the wider Middle East is that end-users, distributors, integrators, and consultants all demand high-quality products.”
“This is particularly true in the UAE, where the government’s strong focus on diversification toward a commerce and tourism-oriented economy has continued the long-standing trend of major infrastructure and commercial projects breaking ground.
“New technology means product life cycles are extremely short, and so a dedicated exhibition such as Prolight + Sound Middle East is important, where the latest equipment and solutions from the world’s leading manufacturers is on show,” Pauwels added.
Unusual Rigging & Engineering is a supplier of rigging and technical solutions for the entertainment, exhibition, architectural, event, TV and film industries, and is one of many Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016 exhibitors launching new products. Its key focus this week though is highlighting the health and safety element that goes with staging major events which require extensive rigging and technical support.
“We cover the whole of the GCC and have customers in a cross section of industries, the obvious being theatre and television, but we also work on some amazing projects totally outside of that remit.” said Denis Bramhall, Managing Partner at Unusual Rigging & Engineering.
“We can be doing anything from rigging up a zip-wire across the city to flying performers for advertising and blockbuster movie stunts. But with all of this comes an element of risk and we are keen to drive home the message at Prolight + Sound Middle East that health and safety and the opportunity to improve standards is essential.
“We want potential customers to understand that if they’re using riggers who are trained to the most stringent standards and are using products that carry the safety legislations that are leading the way in Europe, they are helping to improve safety across the industry.
“People are becoming more aware of the risks involved, not just in putting on events but also the potential hazards during the actual build. We want to encourage customers to ask questions regarding health and safety, insurance, and risk assessments,” added Bramhall.
Jocavi, a manufacturer of eco-friendly acoustic treatment panels for the music and professional audio industries is another exhibitor launching its latest products at Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016.
The Portuguese company will present thirty different models of acoustic panels made from varied raw and recycled materials in several colours and finishings, and divided into three categories of diffusers, absorbers and low-frequency absorbers.
Meanwhile, the informative three-day seminar schedule will be headlined by an inspiring session on 3D large scale projection mapping by Thomas Giegerich, Managing Director of bright!
Giegerich is an internationally renowned specialist who works as a lighting and media designer on high-profile large scale shows all around the world, including the Saudi Arabia National Day.
“The KSA National Day show took about 250 man-days for our creative team to do the artistic part, and another 70 man-days were used to do the technical setup on-site in Riyadh,” said Giegerich.
“We used 36 projectors with 40,000 ANSI Lumens each to project on more than 6,500 sqm. This project was confirmed on very short notice and thus had to be executed in a very precise way.
“In the future, will see more interactive mappings combined with motion tracking technology. Because of customer wishes for new technologies, the Middle East market has always been at the forefront of new technologies, so these kind of shows will certainly come to this region.”
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